What is ‘Mobilegeddon’?

On 21 April, Google added a new element to its search engine ranking algorithm which some commentators are likening to Y2K. SEO bloggers and journalists have named it ‘Mobilegeddon’ in recognition of the widespread impact it is predicted to have – some are suggesting that up to 12% of mobile search queries will be affected.

Google’s intention is to start using a website’s mobile ‘friendliness’ as a ranking signal, so that websites which provide a good mobile user experience will be rewarded in the search results. The flip side is that websites which don’t cater to mobile users will lose rankings. So, although it’s not a penalty (like the previously well-publicised Panda and Penguin search algorithm updates), it should not be ignored.

This is not just another SEO/web designer ploy to market their services with over exaggerated threats. Google is really serious about focusing on the mobile user experience, and with mobile devices overtaking PCs to access the internet, it is hardly surprising.

The key points are:

Mobile rankings will be awarded to sites which present a good user experience to mobile browsers